In the world of freelancing, client disputes are not a possibility, but an inevitability. Regardless of how skilled you are, or how well you communicate with your clients, there will be times when misunderstandings will occur. The ways in which you handle these situations will mean the difference between your success and failure. The first step in dealing with any type of client dispute is to remain calm. While becoming angry or frustrated may seem like the natural reaction, it is the wrong path to choose.
Even worse is making a decision while you're angry. In general, when you make any type of decision when you're angry, in almost all cases, this decision will be the wrong one. At the beginning of this chapter, I said that the customer is not always right; that there are times when they are wrong. As a freelancer, you must take the time to evaluate the client to determine whether they're wrong or right. In some instances, you will find that they are right, and you will realize that it was you who made the mistake.
In this type of situation, the best solution is to simply apologize. It is easy to let your ego get in the way, but having a big ego can kill your freelance career. While you should always be willing to fire undesirable clients if necessary, under no circumstances should you allow your ego to push away your best clients. Whatever you do, avoid arguing with your clients at all costs. When I say “don't argue,” I really mean it, even in situations where the client is wrong and you know it. Getting into verbal fights with your client is not only unprofessional, but it will only make things worse.
Even if you win the argument, in most cases, your “win” will be a Pyrrhic victory. What good is it to win the argument, only to have your client stop sending you projects? In many cases, this is precisely what will happen. The client, feeling insulted and humiliated by your harsh words and actions, will simply decide that they would rather do business with someone else. Some people are more argumentative than others, and if you're the type of person that likes to argue, I can guarantee you that your freelancer career won't be a prosperous one, unless you become a lawyer.
When you get into a dispute with your client, the best way to come out on top is to win through your actions, as opposed to your words. In this world, words mean very little; people often say one thing and do something completely different. But if you can show the client that you're right based on your actions, this will convey a powerful message to them. For example, if you're working with a client, and they want you to do something that you know won't work, don't argue with them about it.
Instead, either choose not to do the project at all, in which case, you will probably loose the client or do as they ask, and then when they see the finished product, and see that it doesn't work, or that it doesn't look good, then they will realize their mistake. At this point, you will simply correct the error, doing it in the original manner that you knew would work. Your client saves face, because instead of arguing with them about it, you simply “do” as they ask and show them through your actions they're wrong and you're right.
The great Renaissance artist and sculptor Michaelangelo was once faced with an annoying problem. He was in the middle of working on a sculpture, when one of his patrons came in to inspect his work. The patron is said to have had a problem with the shape of the nose. Michaelangelo, or course, being the great artist he was, knew that there was nothing wrong with the nose. However, during the Renaissance, the patron was the life blood of the artist, and no artist, no matter how great, could afford to be without his patron. What did Michaelangelo do? He begin working on the nose in front of his patron, making it look as if he was making modifications when he really wasn't. When he asked the patron again if it looked better, the patron said it did.
While some reading this may frown on the deception that was used by Michaelangelo in this situation, the fact of the matter is that Michaelangelo won through his actions, not through argument. Had he got into a huge dispute with his patron, explaining to them all the reasons why the nose of the sculpture looked fine, even had he been right, he would have been “wrong” for arguing with his patron, and this situation could have ended in disaster.
The lesson of Michaelangelo should be understood well: Never, regardless of how angry you are, or how wrong you know your client is, allow yourself to get dragged into an argument. Either respectfully decline to perform the project at which point you will probably loose the client or show your client that they are wrong by your actions, and never through your words. Remember, talk is cheap.